Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the nation.

Approximately 300,000 North Carolinians have their identity stolen each year. In addition, North Carolina residents lose millions of dollars every year due to consumer frauds and scams such as sweepstakes, charities, and home repair.

Scotland County residents will have the opportunity to learn how to protect their good name against identity theft, frauds and scams in an upcoming workshop addressing these issues.

Scotland County Cooperative Extension and Extension and Community Association (ECA) in collaboration with Scotland County Parks and Recreation will host a free workshop on Identity Theft-Protect Yourself and Frauds and Scams Standing

Up - Fighting Back.

The workshop speaker will be Rose White-Hearn, Outreach Specialist from the North Carolina Department of Justice. The workshop will be offered today from 2 to 3 pm at Scotland Place Civic Center located at 1210 Turnpike Road in Laurinburg.

A repeat session, hosted by Cooperative Extension and ECA will be offered from

5:30 to 6:30 pm at the Cooperative Extension office located at 231 East Cronly Street in Laurinburg. The public is invited to attend either session.

“We are very pleased to have Mrs. Hearn from the NC State Attorney General’s office speak to our citizens about identity theft protection and frauds and scams”, said Sharon English, Family and Consumer Agent with Scotland County Cooperative Extension. “During these tough economic times it is more important than ever to protect ourselves and learn information that can help prevent citizens from becoming a victim of these types of crimes”.

These workshops are a kick-off for the second annual Cooperative Extension and ECA Shred-It Event scheduled for Saturday, March 20, 2010. This event provides an opportunity for citizens to dispose of paperwork that contains personal information too risky to throw out yet too bulky to keep.

Forinformation on these workshops or the upcoming Shred-It Event, contact Sharon English, Scotland County Cooperative Extension at 277-2422.